An indicator light for an air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention relates to an indoor unit (100) of an air conditioner having a first panel (110), and a second panel (120) provided substantially parallel to the first panel (110) with a pre-determined distance, forming a cavity therebetween for allowing air to pass therethrough. There is an indicator light (130) disposed at the first panel (110) that is arranged behind the second panel (120). The indicator light (130) comprising at least a light source (131) for emitting light from the first panel (110), and the light source (131) is accessible through the cavity.

Description

[0001] AN INDICATOR LIGHT FOR AN AIR CONDITIONER

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an indicator light for an indoor unit of a ceiling air conditioner.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In general, an indoor unit of a ceiling-mounted air conditioner features a external panel that is flush-mounted to the ceiling. An indicator light is normally positioned on the external panel for indicating an operating state of the air conditioner. It is important to ensure the indicator light to be visibly displayed so that it can be easily spotted by a user. Also, the location of the indicator light has to be easily accessible in order to facilitate maintenance and repair work.

[0006] For instance, prior art document CN212108705U discloses an indoor unit of a ceiling air conditioner which has an external panel flush-mounted with the ceiling. The external panel is incorporated with a plurality of light-transmitting holes for receiving a plurality of indicating lamps. With reference to Figure 1 of the prior art, the plurality of indicating lamps is located near a corner of the external panel. The plurality of indicating lamps is adapted for indicating operating state of respective air deflectors on corresponding air outlets.

[0007] On the other hand, there are a number of examples of an indicator light for an air conditioner over the prior art, aiming for an effective arrangement while maintaining performance of the indicator light. One of the examples is disclosed in prior art document CN216693742U where an indoor unit of a ceiling air conditioner is provided with a light-emitting device located behind a windshield. Referring to Figure 1 of the prior art, the light-emitting device is located behind the windshield, and a light guide structure is provided to guide the light emitted by the light-emitting device towards outside of the windshield. However, such arrangement of the light-emitting device and the light guide structure may limitaccessibility as these components are concealed behind the windshield, requiring more effort to reach the hidden light-emitting device and light guide structure.

[0008] Another example is disclosed in prior art document CN103388784A, where there is an indoor unit of an air conditioner having a temperature indicating device that displays a plurality of LED (Light Emitting Diode). Light emitted from the plurality of LED is transmitted towards a transparent lamp plate via a light guide plate, and subsequently being reflected by a concave surface with an inclination angle of 45° within the lamp plate. Such configuration is aimed to save inner horizontal installation space for the plurality of the LED. However, the prior art features a relatively complex configuration and assembly, as it involves multiple parts to make up the temperature indicating device designed to prevent liquid intrusion.

[0009] In spite of that, there are other configurations of air conditioners that may encounter space limitation as well as servicing difficulty when locating an indicator light. Accordingly, there exists a need to provide an indicator light for an air conditioner which is space-efficient, well-placed for visibility and access, and easy to service.

[0010] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide an indicator light for an air conditioner that ensures visibility for user and accessibility for maintenance and service.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide an indicator light for an air conditioner that is designed to be space-efficient, allowing for design flexibility.There is an object of the present invention to provide an indicator light positioned in a confined space apart from a main airflow passage to optimize overall airflow volume within an air conditioner.

[0013] There is a further object of the present invention to provide an indicator light positioned away from an external panel of an air conditioner to maximize airflow through the entire external panel.

[0014] There is another object of the present invention to provide an indicator light for an air conditioner with a light source distanced from a display area of the indicator light to ensure visibility for user and easy access for maintenance by technicians.

[0015] Accordingly, these objects are achievable by following the disclosure and teachings of the present invention. The present invention relates to an indoor unit of an air conditioner, in which the indoor unit comprises a first panel and a second panel that is provided substantially parallel to the first panel with a pre-determined distance, forming a cavity therebetween for allowing air to pass therethrough. There is an indicator light provided at the first panel that is arranged behind the second panel. The indicator light comprises a light source for emitting light from the first panel, and the light source is accessible through the cavity.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light source is arranged to be distanced apart from the second panel. Further, the light source is preferably arranged to be located at the same level with the first panel.

[0017] The indoor unit further comprises a chassis positioned between the first panel and the second panel, keeping the pre-determined distance between them. The indoor unit further comprises a housing located within the cavity for accommodating a printed circuit board of the light source. Further, the housing further comprises a removable cover for accessing the printed circuit board of the light source.The indicator light further comprises a light guiding member extending from the light source towards the first panel for guiding and emitting the light outside the indoor unit. The light guiding member is preferably, but not limited to, an elongated structure having a light-receiving surface and a light-exiting surface. The light-receiving surface is positioned adjacent to the light source and the lightexiting surface is positioned at a hole provided at a peripheral region of the first panel. Furthermore, the peripheral region of the first panel at which the lightexiting surface positioned is provided with an inclined surface. In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light guiding member further comprises at least an angled portion disposed at a position between the lightreceiving surface and the light-exiting surface.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light guiding member is adapted for receiving the light emitted from the light source via the light-receiving surface, changing direction of the light in a substantially perpendicular manner via the angled portion, and directing the light towards the light-exiting surface. The light emitted from the light source is deviated towards the light-exiting surface at substantially a right angle when the light is incident on the angled portion.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light guiding member comprises a smooth exterior surface that surrounds the whole light guiding member. The light guiding member may be further provided with a reflecting coating surrounding the light guiding member. Furthermore, the lightexiting surface is preferably having a light diffusing surface.

[0020] The present invention also relates to an air conditioner comprising the aforedescribed indoor unit. Preferably, the air conditioner is a ceiling-type air conditioner.

[0021] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGSThe features of the invention will be more readily understood and appreciated from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which:

[0022] Figure 1(a) illustrates a bottom-front perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner at a closed state according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 1(b) illustrates a bottom-front perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner at an opened state according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates a close-up view of an indicator light and a housing thereof in the indoor unit of Figure 1(b) at an opened state.

[0025] Figure 3 illustrates a close-up cross-sectional view of an indicator light and a housing thereof in the indoor unit of Figure 1 (a).

[0026] Figure 4 illustrates a top-front perspective partial view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5(a) illustrates a perspective view of a light guiding member for an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5(b) illustrates a cross-sectional view of a light guiding member for an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSThe abovementioned and other features and objects of this invention will become more apparent and better understood by reference to the following detailed description. It should be understood that the detailed description made known below is not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise form disclosed as the invention may assume various alternative forms. All the relevant modifications and alterations made to the present invention as covered in the detailed description should be construed to fall within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the configuration of the invention is not limited to the configuration mentioned in the following description.

[0030] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention relates to an indoor unit (100) of an air conditioner, in which the indoor unit (100) comprises a first panel (110), and a second panel (120) that is provided substantially parallel to the first panel (110) with a pre-determined distance, forming a cavity therebetween for allowing air to pass therethrough. Preferably, both the first panel (110) and the second panel (120) are aligned with each other with their outer edges in line.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first panel (110) is a frame formed by a peripheral region (111) surrounding a cutout. As an example, the first panel (110) has a substantially rectangular frame surrounding at least a cutout in the center. The frame is preferably affixed onto a surface, while the cutout portion exposes an internal structure of the indoor unit (100) which is disposed above the first panel (110). Apart from the aforementioned example, it is possible that the frame and / or the cutout may come in various shapes, including round, square, or other possible shapes. The second panel (120) is preferably designed to match the corresponding shape of the first panel (110). On the other hand, the second panel (120) preferably comprises a plurality of holes that is evenly distributed over the entire second panel (120), in which the plurality of holes is adapted for allowing air to pass therethrough. With such configuration, ambient air can pass through the entire second panel (120) via the plurality of holes, and subsequently enter the indoor unit (100) when the air is drawn towards the indoor unit (100). In a further embodiment of the presentinvention, the second panel (120) may have an opening formed at one end of the second panel (120) for discharging air. As shown in Figure 1(b), the opening may be in the form of a longitudinal notch at the outer end of the second panel (120), in which the longitudinal notch is further provided with a flap assembly (140) for covering thereof and for directing air towards a predetermined direction.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is an indicator light (130) provided at the first panel (110) that is arranged behind the second panel (120) for indicating operating conditions of the air conditioner. Figure 2 shows a close-up view on the indicator light (130) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which the indicator light (130) is preferably provided at a the peripheral region (111 ) of the first panel (110). The indicator light (130) preferably comprises a light source (131) for emitting light from the first panel (110) and the light source (131) is preferably disposed at a position which is accessible through the cavity between the first panel (110) and the second panel (120) during maintenance or service work. With that, the light source (131 ) could be easily accessed via the cavity when the second panel (120) is either partially detached or completely removed from the indoor unit (100). In a further embodiment of the present invention, the light source (131) may be arranged to be distanced apart from the second panel (120), as shown in Figure 3. In another embodiment of the present invention, the light source (131) may be positioned above the longitudinal edge of the second panel (120).

[0033] With reference to Figure 3, the light source (131) is preferably positioned at the same level or aligned with the first panel (110). The light source (131) is preferably a light-emitting diode (LED), and it is possible to have more than one light-emitting diode in the present invention. It can be seen that the light source (131 ) is preferably to be distanced apart from the second panel (120) and located closer to the first panel (110), as the second panel (120) is entirely used for the functional purpose of enhancing air intake volume by functioning as a suction grille across the entire second panel (120). As such, the indicator light (130) is unlikely to occupy any substantial space which would interfere with the air intakepassage within the indoor unit (100), and the overall air intake volume could be maximized.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the indoor unit (100) further comprises a chassis (150) interposed between the first panel (110) and the second panel (120), keeping the pre-determined distance between them. Figure 4 is an example showing arrangement of the chassis (150) and the first panel (110) that is positioned on top of the chassis (150) according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The chassis (150) is preferably having a sidewall vertically extending between the first panel (110) and the second panel (120). The sidewall preferably comprises a front, rear and two lateral sides interconnecting the front and the rear sides. In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one side of the sidewall is at least partially open. With reference to Figure 4, the front of the sidewall has an opening, allowing airflow to pass therethrough when discharged from the indoor unit (100).

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the indoor unit (100) further comprising a housing (133) located within the cavity for accommodating a printed circuit board (134) of the light source (131). The housing (133) is preferably an enclosed housing located adjacent to an open side of the chassis (150), in which the open side of the chassis (150) allows air to pass through or to be discharged from the indoor unit (100). In addition, the housing (133) further comprising a removable cover at a bottom of the housing (133) for accessing the printed circuit board (134) of the light source (131).

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment as shown in Figure 3, the housing (133) is positioned vertically with the printed circuit board (134) vertically aligned to face the front side of the chassis (150). The printed circuit board (134) is preferably positioned at an elevated height, with an upper portion of the printed circuit board (134) extending beyond the first panel (110) and a lower portion of the printed circuit board (134) residing within the cavity. There is a through opening formed in an overlapping region of the first panel (110) and the chassis (150), creating a passage for the printed circuit board (134) to extend therethrough. Given that,the light source (131) can be placed at any position on the printed circuit board (134) that could be either within the first panel (110), within the cavity between the first panel (110) and the second panel (120), or at the overlapping region of the first panel (110) and the chassis (150). With reference to Figure 4, the housing (133) is preferably disposed adjacent to the opening of the front side of the chassis (150), in which the opening allows conditioned air to be discharged from the indoor unit (100). Also, the housing (133) is preferably located beneath a piping assembly of the indoor unit (100), with a partitioning means disposed between the housing (133) and the piping assembly. The housing (133) for the indicator light (130) is arranged in a space-efficient manner, with the housing (133) being located in an inconspicuous, unoccupied space, away from the air discharge passage, thereby eliminating the need of extra space while ensuring no obstruction towards the airflow.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the indicator light (130) further comprises a light guiding member (132) extending from the light source (131) towards the first panel (110) for guiding and emitting the light outside the indoor unit (100). As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the light guiding member (132) is an elongated structure having a light-receiving surface (1321) and a light-exiting surface (1323). The light-receiving surface (1321) is preferably positioned adjacent to the light source (131 ), while the light-exiting surface (1323) is positioned at a hole provided at the peripheral region (111) of the first panel (110). Further, the light guiding member (132) may comprise at least an angled portion (1322) disposed at a position between the light-receiving surface (1321) and the light-exiting surface (1323). Preferably, the angled portion (1322) is a 45° angled portion. Unlike the conventional air conditioners that opt for a shorter distance between a light source and a panel surface for optimal illumination, the present invention utilizes limited available space to locate the light source (131) which is not at the exact location where the light is emitted from the first panel (110) with incorporation of the light guiding member (132) between the light source (131 ) and the first panel (110).In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light guiding member (132) is adapted for receiving the light emitted from the light source (131 ) via the light-receiving surface (1321), changing direction of the light in a substantially perpendicular manner via the angled portion (1322), and subsequently directing the light towards the light-exiting surface (1323). The light emitted from the light source (131) is thus deviated towards the light exiting surface (1323) at substantially a right angle when the light is incident on the 45° angled portion (1322). As such, the indicator light (130) is placed on the first panel (110) for easy visibility, allowing the user to spot it quickly. Meanwhile, the light source (131) is positioned at a location that is accessible through the cavity to ensure technicians have easy access for maintenance and repair, as opposed to being entirely installed in the first panel (110) in a concealed manner which involves additional disassembly work. Furthermore, such configuration enhances design flexibility without requiring a clear sight of LED unit as well as proximity between the LED unit and the first panel, compared to that of the conventional air conditioners. At the same time, this minimizes servicing and maintenance challenges while ensuring the indicator light (130) is effectively illuminated at such confined and hardly-accessible space.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral region (111 ) of the first panel (110) at which the light-exiting surface (1323) positioned is provided with an inclined surface that tilts downwardly from top of the first panel (110), to ensure the indicator light (100) is visible and easily spotted by the user. Further, the light-exiting surface (1323) is having a light-diffusing surface that provides wide radiation effect and enhances visual comfort. The light-diffusing surface may be created by either a light-diffusing spray paint, a light-diffusing film or a textured surface. Moreover, the light guiding member (132) preferably comprises a smooth exterior surface that surrounds the whole light guiding member (132). In a further embodiment of the present invention, the light guiding member (132) is further provided with a reflecting coating surrounding the light guiding member (132) except the light-receiving surface (1321) and the lightexiting surface (1323), in which the reflecting coating can be in white colour.It is possible that the light guiding member (132) to be constructed into any other unique shapes such as conical, cylindrical and moon-shaped, provided that total internal reflection can be achieved through the light guiding member (132) during transmission. Moreover, the light guiding member (132) is made of, preferably, but not limited to, acrylic resin. The light guiding member (132) can be also made of other suitable optical grade materials such as polycarbonate, glass and epoxies. In another embodiment of the present invention, the lightreceiving surface (1321) can be constructed to have a concave shape for more effective flux coupling and light capturing.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner is a ceiling-type air conditioner, and more preferably, a ceiling-mounted cassette unit. The first panel (110) is preferably mounted on a ceiling surface. Despite that, it is possible that the present invention can be applicable to other types of air conditioner, such as a wall-mounted air conditioner and a floor standing air conditioner. In a different embodiment of the present invention, the first panel (110) may be mounted on a wall surface when installed. In a different embodiment of the present invention, the first panel (110) may not be necessarily mounted onto the ceiling surface. Instead, it could be suspended from the ceiling surface upon installation, particularly when the ceiling is an exposed concrete structure.

[0040] The exemplary implementation described above is illustrated with specific shapes, dimensions, and other characteristics, but the scope of the invention also includes various other shapes, dimensions, arrangements and characteristics. For example, the dimension and the shape of any component of the indicator light (130) could be modified to adapt to any appropriate particular combination of various parts in an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

[0041] Various modifications to these embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description and the accompanying drawings. The principles associated with the various embodiments described herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the description is not intended to be limited to theembodiments shown along with the accompanying drawings but is to be providing broadest scope of consistent with the principles and the novel features disclosed or suggested herein. Accordingly, the invention is anticipated to hold on to all other such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the present invention and appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An indoor unit (100) of an air conditioner, comprising:a first panel (110); anda second panel (120) that is provided substantially parallel to the first panel (110) with a pre-determined distance, forming a cavity therebetween for allowing air to pass therethrough;wherein an indicator light (130) is disposed at the first panel (110) that is arranged behind the second panel (120); andwherein the indicator light (130) comprising at least a light source (131) for emitting light from the first panel (110), and the light source (131) is accessible through the cavity.

2. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light source (131 ) is arranged to be distanced apart from the second panel (120).

3. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light source (131 ) is arranged to be located at a same level as the first panel (110).

4. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indoor unit (100) further comprising a chassis (150) positioned between the first panel (110) and the second panel (120) keeping the pre-determined distance between them.

5. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indoor unit (100) further comprising a housing (133) located within the cavity for accommodating a printed circuit board (134) of the light source (131).

6. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing (133) further comprising a removable cover for accessing the printed circuit board (134) of the light source (131 ).

7. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the indicator light (130) further comprising a light guiding member (132) extending from the lightsource (131) towards the first panel (110) for guiding and emitting the light outside the indoor unit (100).

8. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light guiding member (132) is an elongated structure having a light-receiving surface (1321) and a light-exiting surface (1323).

9. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the light guiding member (132) further comprising at least an angled portion (1322) disposed at a position between the light-receiving surface (1321) and the light-exiting surface (1323).

10. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the light guiding member (132) is adapted for receiving the light emitted from the light source (131 ) via the light-receiving surface (1321), changing direction of the light in a substantially perpendicular manner via the angled portion (1322), and directing the light towards the light-exiting surface (1323).

11. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the light-receiving surface (1321) is positioned adjacent to the light source (131) and the lightexiting surface (1323) is positioned at a hole provided at a peripheral region (111 ) of the first panel (110).

12. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the peripheral region (111) of the first panel (110) at which the light-exiting surface (1323) positioned is provided with an inclined surface.

13. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light guiding member (132) comprising a smooth exterior surface that surrounds the light guiding member (132).

14. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light guiding member (132) is further provided with a reflecting coating surrounding the light guiding member (132).

15. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the light-exiting surface (1323) is having a light diffusing surface.

16. The indoor unit (100) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the air conditioner is a ceiling-type air conditioner.

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